Jianshui White Lotus Teapot - "Factory Seconds" :: Seattle Inventory

These teapots are what we would call "factory seconds". We use that term for lack of a better one. Each has some small flaw that won't affect brewing the tea. Sometimes the teaware we have custom made for us isn't entirely up to our standards. For these teapots we like to offer them at a discount. These are fully functional teapots that only have small cosmetic flaws. They will still brew great tea!

For example, some of these teapots developed a small crack when the seal was pressed into the base. This crack was filled with a small amount of glaze before firing.

These are all about 100ml. They measure on average 10.5cm from tip of spout to end of handle and are around 7cm tall.

This is a true tea lovers teapot. We really love Jianshui clay. It has a purity and soul that comes through the tea session. For these teapots we used the rare Wanyao clay. With changing government regulations it has become difficult or impossible to mine for new clay under Wanyao village in Jianshui. Most Jianshui teapots now are made of a blend of clay from as far as 25km away. It's still good clay, but the purists prefer the old Wanyao clay. We still have access to some of it but the stock is dwindling! The clay in these teapots was mined 20 years ago, processed, and has been aging since then.

To set these teapots apart we had them carved with a lotus and inlaid them with red glaze. 

These are each handmade by a group of artists who work together. They are single fired and unglazed. This is a true clay which lacks any sand. The natural minerals in the clay will enhance the flavor of your tea. Jianshui is in Yunnan, and the clay used in these teapots comes from the same mountains that grow puerh tea trees. We appreciate that connection. We blogged about this unique town here.

Since these are handmade products each are unique. There are slight variations to each. These are gorgeous teapots. The lids fit and they seal well. They pour fast and easy. They are ready to go!

This teapot is polished, pure white, Jianshui clay and is in a tall "Shi Piao" style. This shape is a modification of our own design. We like the wide mouth and feel it works great when brewing loose, large leaf teas. 

Check out our video series from Jianshui: